ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's poll body today rejected the demand for the resignation of the chief election commissioner over the allegation of rigging and slammed the political parties for criticising it over the handling of the elections, saying they were disrespecting the peoples' mandate.
The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been under attack from various political parties over its handling the July 25 elections, in which the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), led by 65-year-old Imran Khan, emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly after winning 116 seats.
Jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with 64 seats and former president Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) with 43 seats are placed at number two and three respectively.
Pakistan's National Assembly (NA) -- the lower house of Parliament - comprises a total of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected.
A party needs 172 seats to form the government.
The PML-N has demanded formation of a judicial commission to probe into the allegations of rigging in the just-concluded elections.
Members of the All Parties Conference had also demanded resignation of Chief Election Commission Sardar Muhammad Raza Khan over the issue.
"The ECP has not received any complaints of rigging from anywhere in the country," ECP Secretary Babar Yaqoob said in a statement, which he read out to media.
He also said that legal avenues were available for those having reservations over elections.
The ECP Secretary urged the political parties, who have suffered big losses in the election, to respect the choice of the voters of Pakistan and stop disrespecting the mandate of the Pakistani people.
"Voters exercised their right to vote in a free and fair atmosphere.
It is against the basic principles of democracy to disrespect the Pakistani peoples' mandate without any reason, or for politically motivated reasons," he said.
Yaqoob said that international observers had also declared that elections were held in fair and free environment.
The ECP had been under pressure over delay in declaration of results, on which Yaqoob said that the ECP had sought explanation over delay from district officers who were in-charge of compiling results.